Sending Emails to a ServiceNow PDI (Updated Approach)

 

Note:

Earlier, Personal Developer Instances (PDIs) came with built-in SMTP and POP/IMAP configurations. You could send emails using the instance email address (e.g., [email protected] or devxxx.service-now.com).

 

However, as per recent ServiceNow changes, both inbound and outbound email capabilities are restricted in PDIs by default. https://developer.servicenow.com/blog.do?p=/post/sending-emails-from-pdis/

If you navigate to System Mailbox → Administration → Email Accounts, you’ll notice that no accounts are configured.

If you're looking to configure outbound emails, refer to the related post (https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-forum/sending-emails-from-servicenow-pdi-to-a-persona...).

In this post, we’ll focus on receiving emails (inbound) into your PDI.

 

Step 1: Create a Dedicated Email Account

Since POP/IMAP is not preconfigured, create a new email account (e.g., Gmail) exclusively for your PDI.

This email will act as your ServiceNow instance email address. Go to Gmail Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP Enable POP (refer to Screenshot 1)

 

Step 2: Enable Email Receiving in PDI

Navigate to: System Properties → Email Properties Enable Email Receiving (refer to Screenshot 2)

 

Step 3: Configure Email Account in ServiceNow

Go to: System Mailbox → Administration → Email Accounts Create a new record and fill in the required details (refer to Screenshot 3)

 

Important:

Do not use your Gmail password Instead, generate and use an App Password

(Refer to the https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-forum/sending-emails-from-servicenow-pdi-to-a-persona... for steps on generating an App Password)

Click Test Connection and verify it shows Successful

If the connection fails:

Switch protocol to IMAP Update server, port, and security settings accordingly (refer to Screenshot 4)

 

Step 4: Test the Setup

Send an email to the configured email address Verify that it is received in your PDI Test your Inbound Email Actions

 

In this approach, we’re essentially replicating the earlier instance email functionality by using a dedicated Gmail account. Previously, PDIs had a built-in instance email address, but since that has been removed, this setup acts as a workaround to achieve the same behavior.

If you’d like me to cover any specific topics, feel free to mention them in the replies